Attachment for swinging scaffolds or stages.



, PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908. W. B. STOOPS. ATTACHMENT FOR SWINGI-NG SGA'FFOLDS 0 STAGES.

APPLICATION FILED 311.22, 1907.

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WILLIAM B. STOOPS, Oli CORAOPOLIS, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE NV. SCOTT AND JOHN M. MCGABE. OF CORAOPOLIS, PENNSYLVANIA.

ATTACHMENT FOR SWINGING SCAFFOLDS OR STAGES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 24, 1908.

Application filed. April 22, 1907. Serial No. 369,502.

citizen of the United States, residing at Coraopolis, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Swinging Scaffolds or Stages; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improved attachments for swinging scaffolds or stages used by house painters, &c., and it comprises an adjustable outrigger with double rollers arranged above and below the level of the scaffold or stage to prevent tilting, a pulley block and stirrup iron which will further prevent any lateral rocking or tilting of the stage, said block being provided with a means whereby the stage may be held normally level or at right-angles with the wall of the building where there is no cornice extending from the same and the invention further consists in arranging a folding worleboard along one edge of the stage, which board also serves as a guide rail and the invention still further consists in the certain details of construction and combination of parts, as will be fully described hereinafter.

In the accon'ipanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a swii'iging scaffold or stage showing my improved attachments arranged in connection therewith, a portion of one end of said stage being shown in section the better to show the outrigger and one of the pulley blocks detached from its stirrup iron. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the stage and Outriggers. Fig. 3 is a detailed side elevation of one of the Outriggers detached from the stage. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the pulley blocks showing a portion of the stirrup connected thereto. Fig. 6 is a face view of the same. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a portion of the lower end of the pulley and upper end of the stirrup showing the positions of the supporting and retaining pins to hold the stage normally level under certain conditions.

To put my invention into practice with 1 the ordinary swinging scaffold or stage such as is in common use among house-painters, &c., said stage comprising a body-portion 1, formed of side rails attached together and a slatted floor or platform, I first provide said stage with outriggers for the support of the same and as a means for holding it away from the building and keeping it level when the added weight of a work-board is attached thereto. These Outriggers each consist of a support 2, to which a stirrup iron 12 is connected, said iron having an open link at the top and is attached to'the support 2, by passing the extremities through openings 11 and fitting nuts thereto. This support 2 is formed with a slot 3, which extends in the directionof its length and is adapted for the reception of a transverse bolt 8, fitted with a thumb nut 9, which adjustably secures slidable parts lto said supports, in such manner, that said parts may be moved toward or away from the building and clamped at any desired position. These slidable parts 4 are guided and supported near their inner. ends by clamps 10, which are fixed to the supports 2. The inner ends of the slidable parts 4 are joined to a piece 5 arranged in a vertical position the ends of which are bifurcated to receive small rollers 7, upper roller being above the center of the support 2 and the other below and at a greater distance therefrom, as will be best seen by reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings. This abovementioned work-board consists of two standards 22, loosely connected to the outside rail of the stage by means of bolts 25, operating in short slots 23 and suitable strap sockets 24, also attached to said rail. By this construction and attachment of the lower ends of the standards 22, the'same may be sustained in a vertical or upright position or folded out wardly to a position slightly below the level of the platform of the stage. This folding of the standards is accomplished by loosening the bolts 25, lifting the standards free of their sockets 24:, and turning the same about their pivotal points. Pivotally connected to the top of the standards by means of bolts 33, is a rail 27, slotted as at 28, said rail having attached thereto an outwardly-projecting shelf 26 to form a combined work-board and safety rail or guard, which when in use occupies a position such as shown at Fig. 1 of the drawings. This work-board 26 is formed with a series of longitudinal slots 29 in which the workmen may place their brushes 31 by thrusting the handles of the same therein, and the rail 27 is also provided with hooks 30, to which paint receptacles 32 may be hung when elevating or lowering the stage, thus securing said utensils against accidental displacement or falling from the platform.

To fold the work-board to a position level with the platform of the stage, for the purpose of transportation and convenience of storage, it is only necessary to release the tension upon the bolts 25 and 33, lift the standards 22 from their sockets 24 and permit the said standards to turn about the bolts 25 as pivots, the bolts 33 moving outward along the slots 28 will allow said workboard to descend to the level of the platform of the stage.

. To further secure the stage against rocking I rovide a special form of pulley blocks to Wl fich the ropes suspending said stage are connected. These blocks each consist of the ordinary wooden block 15 and inside pulley 16. Through the block 15 are passed two parallel-arranged metal strips 17 and 17, which project both from the top and bottom of said block 15 and carry the supporting shaft of the pulley 16. These strips 17 and 17, are joined together at the top by a bolt fitted with a rope-ring 18, and the one strip 17 made somewhat longer than the other 17, so that one will project a short distance below the other. The lower end of the strip 17 is bent upward in the form of a hook 19,

. for the purpose of attaching the free end of the supporting rope thereto and secure the stage at any desired elevation. Through the lower portion of the parallel strips 17 and 17, are formed openings, located the one above the other, in such manner that removable cotter ins 20 and 20 may be passed therethrougi to engage with the elongated openings 14 of the stirrup irons 12. By this construction of apulley block and the method of attaching the same to the stirrup irons, the weight of the stage is carried by the upper pins 20, while the lower pins 20 prevent any rocking or lateral swing of the stirrup irons. This pin lock block attachment has many advantages over the ordinary block now in general use. The means of using two pins makes the connection perfectly rigidmaking the stage steady-preventing any possible chance for the stage to rock or tilt, and it also makes it impossible for the stage to become unhooked. ,The great advantage in this attachment is in case of hanging a stage on a straight wall where there is no cornice extending from the building to allow the stage to stand level, in such cases, by simply removing the lower pins 20 (this can be done at any time, as the upper pin bears all the weight) and then inserting said pins in the openings behind the stirrup irons, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 7 of the drawings. This will lock the stage in a level position.

Various slight modifications and changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore I do not wish to confine myself to the exact construction, shown and described, but wish to claimiall such modified forms as would come properly within the general scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with an outrigger for a swinging scaffold or stage, a stirrup iron attached thereto, a pulley block, means for connecting said block to said stirrup iron and means for locking said block and stirrup iron to prevent rocking or swinging at said connection, as described.

2. In combination with an outrigger for a swinging scaffold or stage, a stirrup iron having a slot or elongated opening at the top, a pulley having means comprising parallel bars projecting therefrom, openings formed in said bars and removable pins arranged in said openings to engage with the slot of the stirrup iron, whereby a rigid and non-swinging connection is made between said block and stirrup iron, as described.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM B. STOOPS.

Witnesses:

WM. G. WALTER, GEORGE C. ERDNER. 

